Long Springs, Long Autumns, and Good Grass

When our family decided to begin Tyner Pond Farm, one of the things we were most grateful for was where we were standing. We were here in east-central Indiana. We were not trying to force a grass-based farm onto land that did not suit it. We were beginning in a place that already gave us a strong foundation for raising cattle on pasture.

Wine people have long understood this. A serious winery does not only talk about the grape. It talks about the place. It talks about soil, elevation, exposure, and climate, because those things shape the final product. Martin Woods in Oregon is a good example. They describe vineyards in terms of volcanic soils, elevation, and exposure because they understand that place is not just background. It is part of what the product is.

We think grassfed beef should be talked about the same way. Beef raised on grass is shaped by the place where the grass grows. Rain matters. Temperature matters. Soil matters. Seasons matter. Management matters. If the land does not give forage a real chance, then the whole system has a harder road.

That is one reason we are so grateful to farm here. Central Indiana averages about 43.63 inches of precipitation a year, and the monthly rainfall is spread through the calendar rather than dropping into one long wet season. The shoulder months that matter so much to pasture are also moderate: average highs are 63.9°F in April, 73.4°F in May, 78.2°F in September, and 65.6°F in October.

Those numbers matter because our pasture base is built around cool-season forage. Extension guidance says cool-season grasses begin growing when soil temperatures reach about 40–45°F, reach their best growth around 60–75°F, and slow as temperatures rise above 75°F. That means the long run of spring and fall weather we get here is not incidental. It is one of the real reasons this place works for grass.

That is why we keep coming back to our springs and falls. They are not just pleasant seasons. They are working seasons. They are the months when pasture can take off, when forage can recover, and when a grass-based cattle system has room to do what it is meant to do. Summer still brings heat, and winter is still winter, but those broad shoulder seasons on either side of summer are one of the real gifts of this part of Indiana.

We also farm in a place with a real cattle tradition. In our immediate neighbors are operations like M5 Family Farms, where the Midwest Beef Cattle Consultants bull and female sale is held and M5 cattle have been top sellers, and Ramseys Herefords in Greenfield, whose cattle won grand champion female at the 2023 North American International Livestock Exposition. That does not make every cattle farm here the same. But it does say something about this part of Hancock County and the kind of cattle country it is. 

Our work at Tyner Pond Farm is different from theirs. We are not in the show ring business, and we are not in the bull development business. We are raising 100% grassfed beef for families. But we are rooted in the same basic truth: place matters. This ground, this rainfall, these seasons, and this climate give us a real chance to grow good forage and raise cattle the way we believe they should be raised.

We believe eastern Hancock County is one of the very good places in the world to raise grassfed cattle. Not because other regions do not have their own strengths. They do. But because this place fits the kind of work we are doing. It fits cool-season pasture. It fits rotational grazing. It fits cattle on grass.

Good food begins with a place. We are grateful this is ours.

FAQs

Why does place matter for grassfed beef?
Grassfed beef begins with forage, and forage depends on place. Rainfall, temperature, soil, and the length of the growing season all shape the pasture that cattle live on. In east-central Indiana, we have dependable rainfall, real seasons, and strong spring and fall conditions for cool-season pasture.

What makes east-central Indiana a good place to raise grassfed beef?
This part of Indiana gives us a good foundation for pasture-based farming. We have enough rainfall to support forage growth, and our long spring and fall seasons give cool-season grasses time to grow and recover. For a grass-based farm, those conditions matter.

Why do you talk so much about grass and forage?
Because good grassfed beef starts there. Before there is beef, there has to be pasture. The quality of the forage, the health of the pasture, and the time it has to recover all shape the kind of farm we can run.

What do long springs and long falls mean for a grass-based farm?
They mean more time in the parts of the year when cool-season pasture grows best. Spring and fall are when grass can make real progress, and that gives us better conditions for rotational grazing and forage recovery.

What kind of farming do you practice at Tyner Pond Farm?
We raise 100% grassfed beef and pasture-raised chicken using managed rotational grazing. We also work with trusted partners to offer pasture-raised pork and organic raw dairy.

What does “Good food begins with a place” mean?
It means food is shaped by where it comes from. The land, the weather, the pasture, and the people caring for it all matter. For us, that place is our farm in east-central Indiana.